The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) is in talks with China to buy 30 to 40 of the Shenyang J-31 / FC-31 twin-engined stealth fighter displayed at Airshow China 2014 in Zhuhai, a senior Pakistani government official has revealed to IHS Jane's .

"The discussions are beyond initial inquiries and they fit into the pattern of Pakistan being the first export customer of Chinese [military] hardware," said the official.

The FC-31 was unveiled as an export model at Zhuhai, although a prototype with the J-31 designation has been flying at a Shenyang Aircraft Corporation facility since 2012.

In 2007 then air chief marshal Tanvir Mahmood Ahmed, who at the time was PAF chief of staff, told IHS Jane's that Islamabad was considering the purchase of up to two squadrons or 30 to 40 of Chengdu J-10 fighters.

PJ-31 will be Pakistani J31 variant.

China - Pakistan Dosti Zindabad !!!

The Real Heroes are the People of Pakistan - Long Live Pakistani People.

If compare J-10s programme it would take another 8-9 years to see J31 in PAF colors.

That deal has been indefinitely postponed for now ... and focus has been shifted to the completion of JF-17 induction and maturity to Block-III standard. PAF is envisaging Block-III to be around 80% as capable as the Block-52+ F-16s. Due to the current economic woes engulfing the country at the moment, it was decided to pospone the induction of FC-20 and even cancel it if Block-III JF-17 attains its capability goals.

Furthermore, only time will tell how long it will take J-31 to mature.

China's fighter project develeopment paradigm is very astute and practical. It is focused on incorporating components that have already been developed successfully. In this context the other stealth projects that have been already in quite advanced stages of development (like the J-20 and J-21) will contribute to the speeding up of the J-31 development cycle. Just like JF-17 Block-I took half the time to attain FOC than the J-10.

Minister for Defence Production Rana Tanveer Hussain told Dawn on Friday the matter was being discussed with Chinese authorities.

It is for the first time that a senior government functionary has confirmed talks with China over purchase of the longer-range stealth aircraft — an issue that has been a subject of speculation in defence circles since the 10th edition of the Zhuhai Air Show (China) held earlier this month, when the aircraft was unveiled.

The Jane’s Defence Weekly had quoted an unnamed Pakistani official as saying that the PAF was holding talks with China for the purchase of 30 to 40 of the Shenyang FC-31 fighter planes and that discussions had gone beyond initial inquiries.

The FC-31 is being developed by China primarily for the export market. Chinese officials claim that several countries have expressed interest in the aircraft believed to be comparable to US F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

A prototype of the aircraft, designated as J-31, has been flown by the Chinese aircraft research and development firm Shenyang Aviation Company for a couple of years now.

What particularly interests the PAF is that FC-31 prototype (J-31) and JF-17 use the same Russian Klimov RD-93 engines.

Pakistan is increasingly relying on China as a reliable source for its defence procurements.

Mr Hussain said that Pakistan was also interested in Chinese attack helicopter Z-10.

China and Pakistan had earlier co-produced JF-17 Thunder. Pakistan has been eagerly trying to market this fighter aircraft.

If J-31 is to enter service with PAF then the J-10 will not be a wise expense. It duplicates much of what the F-16 does and adds to the maintenance problems by operating with now a 3rd type of engine. The 90+ F-16s would be reasonable enough. Instead of 40/50 J-10 another 20 J-31 would benefit the PAF more.

250 JF-17
90 F-16
60 J-31/FC-31

Give 400 Frontline fighters which is more than PAF currently operates. I think PAF is holdong off on future JF-15 Procurement (still hasnt ordered more than 150) until more exports and they have a clear picture of the setup of blk 3 (ie more aggressive electronics, lighter airframe and better engine ect)

Photos of China's newest stealth twin-engine J-31 fighter, unveiled on Nov. 10 during a preshow tour of Airshow China in Zhuhai, have recently leaked into the media again. The fighter may be sold to potential buyers in the Middle East, as well as Pakistan, Argentina and Nigeria, reports our Chinese-language sister paper Want Daily.

The J-31 was exhibited in Zhuhai by the Aviation Industry of Corporation of China.

The J-31 has a limited fuel capacity and combat radius, features that could be defects for combat on the mainland, but for smaller countries such as Pakistan, the fighter's agility and smaller size is exactly what they would prefer, according to a report by Sina's military news portal.

Pakistan has bought weapons from China before and is eyeing the J-31, said Pakistan Air Force major general Khalid, who visited the Zhuhai Airshow for the third time and praised the J-31 as the world's best fighter, according to the report.

Pakistan's neighboring countries have already been preparing for the research and development of fourth-generation fighters, making it quite natural for the country to look for some of its own. Moreover, the price of China's J-20 fighters is twice that of the J-31. The light fighter seems a pragmatic choice, said military expert Xu Yongling. Pakistan always places military procurement from China as its top priority as the two have close ties, Xu said.

There are signs that Argentina and Nigeria will procure China's J-17 fighters, and they likely will also buy the cheaper J-31 fighters as a good combination if they can reach an agreement, said the Japan-based Diplomat.

Experts said one J-31 fighter costs around US$75 million, making it very competitive. It has already completed flight tests, relieving buyers of the extra costs for further research and development.

US media has simultaneously harped on the rising threat of China's new fighters while lambasting the fighter's quality, a contradictory mentality for a nation with some of the world's best fighter technology, said Jin Canrong, vice president of the School of International Relations at Renmin University of China.